British Cycling confirms Great Britain Cycling Team for UCI Road World Championships

British Cycling has today confirmed the riders who will represent the Great Britain Cycling Team at the forthcoming UCI Road World Championships taking place in Bergen, Norway, from 17 - 24 September.

Chris Froome, who became the first British rider to win the Vuelta a Espana on Sunday and only the third person in history to win both the Tour de France and the Vuelta in the same year, will represent the Great Britain Cycling Team in the time trial event and will be looking to round off what has been an outstanding season for the Briton. Tao Geoghegan Hart will also race the time trial.

Reigning national road race champion Lizzie Deignan, who won the world title in 2015, has recovered from an appendectomy in time to contest the road race and will be supported by a full team of riders including Alice Barnes who won the bronze medal in the under 23 race at the UEC European Road Championships earlier this year. Barnes’ sister Hannah has made selection, as have Olympic gold medallists on the track Elinor Barker and Dani King. Senior academy rider and under-23 national road race champion Mel Lowther along with Hayley Simmonds complete the team.

Hannah Barnes and Elinor Barker will compete in the elite women’s time trial, with Barker a junior silver medallist in the 2011 event.

Current national under-23 road race champion Chris Lawless, who took a stage win at the prestigious Tour de l’Avenir earlier this year, will represent Great Britain in the under-23 road race along with national under-23 time trial champion Scott Davies, who will double up for the time trial as well. British Cycling programme riders Ethan Hayter, Mark Stewart and Ollie Wood have all made selection for the road race squad as has James Knox.

Great Britain will also be represented by a full quota of riders in the junior events.

British Cycling’s head coach Iain Dyer said: “Selection for this year’s road world championships was a difficult one due to the depth of talent we have in Great Britain across the board, which is a good position to be in.

“I’m delighted to see Chris Froome wishing to finish his season in Great Britain Cycling Team colours after another fantastic year for him and I’m looking forward to seeing him in action on a course which suits his strengths. Equally, I’m pleased to see Lizzie selected for the women’s road race following her recent illness. Lizzie will be supported by a full strength women’s team which is testament to how much women’s cycling is growing in this country in general but also the investment we have made in developing our best female road riders.

“The junior squads are looking strong and we’ve seen some great results from individuals named within the teams this year. It would be great to see this reflected in the results at the world championships, but what’s important for me is they make the most of the opportunity of being in the same team as the professional road riders and benefit from this experience as part of their long-term development.

“There are some notable omissions from the squad, such as Mark Cavendish and Geraint Thomas plus Jacob Hennessy from the under-23 squad which is unfortunate but understandable. We are coming to the end of a long season for the road riders and injury and illness becomes inevitable so their decisions to withdraw themselves from selection are respected.

“I believe we are taking a talented squad of riders to this year’s world championships with some very real chances of success in each of the squads and I look forward to the racing in Bergen.”